1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to flashlights and fishing equipment. In particular, the present invention relates to a flashlight holder that attaches a flashlight to a handle of a fishing net to facilitate fishing at night.
2. Description of the Related Art
Flashlight holders are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,799,132 issued to Perlsweig shows a flashlight holder that mounts a mini-flashlight on a writing instrument; U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,772 issued to Jimenez et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,447 issued to Quakenbush both disclose flashlight mounting systems for attaching a flashlight to a firearm; U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,026 issued to Maglica et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,774 issued to Lane, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,546 issued to Burdi disclose various flashlight holders and brackets for attaching flashlights to bicycle handlebars; U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,356 issued to McWilliams discloses a device for mounting a flashlight to a person's wrist; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,911 issued to DiAngelo shows a flashlight holder for securing a flashlight to a wheeled measuring device. While these flashlight holders presumably function as intended in these various applications, none have been disclosed for use with handheld fishing nets.
Handheld fishing nets are often used by fishermen to help land fish caught by a rod and reel or other tackle. When a fish is caught, the fisherman normally reels his or her line in until the fish is pulled close to the fisherman's boat or dock but still beneath the surface of the water. A handheld fishing net, also referred to as a dip net, is then dipped into the water and the fish is scooped out of the water using the net and brought into the boat or onto the dock. This maneuvering with the rod and reel and the dip net requires skill, particularly when performed by one person acting alone. The fishing net ensures that the fish does not break the line and escape as the fish is lifted from the water.
It is common to fish in low light conditions, such as at dusk or at night. Fishermen often position a lantern or other light source near them so they can see their fishing equipment, the surface of the water, and the fish being caught. However, a typical lantern provides diffuse light over a wide area and usually does not direct a high intensity light to the surface of the water where it is needed to maneuver the fishing net and enable a fisherman to see the fish as it is being landed. Attempts at positioning lights on the boat or at the boat dock have failed because the exact location of where the fish is pulled out of the water often changes for each fish, making stationary lights inadequate.
Many fishermen use handheld flashlights while fishing at night to see the fish they are trying to land. However, handheld flashlights are difficult to use when a fisherman is fishing alone and landing a fish because this requires the fisherman to juggle the rod and reel, the handheld net, and the flashlight all at the same time. One solution to this problem is to have a fishing buddy handle the flashlight and/or the fishing net while the rod and reel are handled by the fisherman. However, this is not always convenient and still does not solve the problem when fishing alone.
One attempt at solving this problem was to have a light built into the handle of the fishing net to illuminate the ring on the net. However, this fishing net with a built-in light met with little success in the market because it was not cost effective. Most fishermen already have a fishing net and did not want to purchase another net just to gain the light feature.
Thus, there is a need in the industry for an improved system for fishing at night that can be used with existing fishing nets and allows a fisherman to conveniently land fish at night, even while fishing alone.